yamada



T. YAMADA.

STABiLlZER FOB AIRPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-23.1918.

Patented Aug. 5 1919.

2 SHEETS SHEET I.

@wuawitoz T. YAMADA.

STABILIZEH FOR AIRPLANES.

APPLICATI ON FILED AUG.23. I918.

Patented Aug. 5, 1919.

Z SHEETS SHEET 2 llli lid

rnoiuas an, or new roan, n. r.

STABILIZER FOR LAKES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 5, 119.

application flledaugust 23, win. Serial No. $51,117.

To all who: if may concern: I

lie it known that I, 'llnozuas YAMADA, a citizen of Japan, residing at i ew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented new and useful improvements in Stabilizers for Airplanes, of which the following is a spccification.

My inventionrelates to stabilizers tor airplanes, and its objects are to cause the plane to hover poised in the air above a particular location, to permit the plane, upon shutting otl its means of propulsion or upon injury thereto, gradually to settle to the earth and to facilitate landing without injury to the machine, to enable the plane to keep substantially in a horizontal position when desired, to prevent tipping, to guard against accidents to students under instruction, to render such stabilizationindependentot' the driving engine of the plane,"'and,'- in other ways, to insure and produce stabilization at such times and places as may be desired or required.

My invention primarily consists in providing one or more hemispherical hoods attached to the super-structure of an airplane in proximity to the lifting surface otone of its wings, the mouth of the hood opening downwardly and having a tan adjacent thereto tor the purpose of creating a suction of air'therein, thereby providing a litt-' ing force for sustainin the plane in the air while its driving meclianism is not in use.

My invention further consists in other novel constructions illustrated in the drawing and more particularly hereinafter de-- scribed and claimed.

its is well known in the modern airplane art, movement through the air of an airplane is essential to its suspension in the atmosphere and any cessation of the propeller necessarily results in the plane gliding or falling to the earth. So far as it am aware, no edective sustaining means, permitting an airplane to hover over a particular spot in the earths surface, whereby the air plane is rendered substantially stationary, has been developed and used. Neither, so far as l am aware, has therebeen developed a practical device permittin an airplane gradually to settle to the cart independent of its normal means-0t propulsion. Because of the lack of means tor holding an airplane stationary in the air while bombs are being dropped therefrom, it has been found at the present time that accurate bombing with the bombs.

. inability ordinarily to find a' suitable landing place. The speed developed in a rapid glide to the earth necessitates landing upon a level'surtace, since otherwise the machine 15 likely to be smashed and the aviator injured.

With my new invention, the aviator is enabled, when bombing,'to hover in a substantially stationary position over the object which isdesired to be bombed, thereby insu ting great" accuracy p, in-the dropping of Furthermore, in case of accident or injury to the propellin mechanism, the aviator, through the use 0 my invention, is enabled to settle gradually to the earth and to land upon any character of surface whatever without substantial injury to the machine.

My invention is also of great value in the instruction of aviators, since the use of my improved stabilizer permits the beginner, while he is learning to fly. to efi'ect a landing without danger to himself or the machine; whereas at the present time in the majority of instances, where beginners are injured or the machine wrecked, such outcome is mainly due'to lack of experience in making a successt'ul landing.

Attention is hereby directed to the drawing, in which similar numerals of designation reter to similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure l is a trout elevation of an airplane shoWing my improved stabilizer duly installed.

Fig. 2 is a view of the stabilizing fans and gearing employed for operating the same.

- Fig. 3 is a side. elevation 0t one of my improvedstabilizing devices showing the stabilizing hood and parts adjacent thereto.

Fig. 4 is a view of my improved hood with cover removed showing the supporting semicircular ribs theretor, and ad3acent parts.

Fig. 5 is a view showing the osition ot' the supporting ribs of the stabilizing hood when in a closed position.

Referring to the drawing,-

Upon the super-structure of an airplane 6 I mount each of the shafts 7 journaled in bearings 8 and 9; the bearing 9 being preferably mounted within the lower wing 10 and the bearing 8 being mounted upon the spider 11 secured to the lower wing 10. Collars 12 and 13 serve to kee each said shaft 7 in proper alinement. he lower end of each shaft 7 is rovided with a beveled gear 14 which mes es into a beveled gear 15 u on the countershaft 16. At the opposite en of each shaft 16 is a beveled gear 17 meshing into a gear 18, which is upon a shaft 19, arranged to be driven by some source of power independent of the driving power of the airplane; a small motor driven by batteries or a small engine (not shown) being lpreferably employed for this purpose. referably, eac shaft 16 issupported in bearings '20 which aresecured tothe under-surface of the wing 10. At the upper end of each shaft 7 is a fan 21 which 18 secured thereto and revolves therewith. Preferably, I employ the two fans and connecting mechanism of the character above described, each device being located upon opposite sides of-the airplane and balancin each other. (See Fig. 1). Immediately a ove each of the fans 21 is located a collapsible hood 22, which is spread upon semi-circular ribs 23, normally held apart by springs 24. The ends of said semi-circular ribs 23 are secured together by pins 25 which each bear at the outer end thereof, an eye engaging with a loop 26 secured to the vertically moving rod 27, installed within each sleeve 28. A vertical groove 29 is provided in the sleeves 28 for the purpose of permitting a limited vertical movement of the loop 26, which is secured to the rod 27.

The rods 27 are connected at their lower portions bymeans of a flat chain 32 secured thereto, the openings of which engage with the sprockets 30 and 31 which are suitably mounted beneath the wing 10 and secured thereto.

As will be observed, theends of the hood 22, through the use of the chain 32, ma be de ressed or elevated, as may be desired to a imited extent, and the hood thereby inclined toward the front or the rear of the airplane. Thus, for example, referrin to Fig. 3, if the horizontal portion of the c ain 32 is moved toward the right, the chain will be caused to travel over the sprocket 30 and the rod 27, shown at the left, being attached to one end of said chain 32 will be caused to move downwardly, thereby imparting a downward movement to one side of the hood 22 and at the same time causing the op osite side of the hood.22 to move upwa y, it

being-apparent that the force of the air wings of the plane, as shown in the drawing, and are firmly afiixed thereto.

For the purpose of closing each of the said hoods 22 when the same is not in use, I employ the collars 33 mounted upon sleeves 3i and adapted to be moved therewith. Normally each sleeve 34, telescoping one of the sleeves 28, is kept in the position as shown in Fig. 4, by means of the spring 35, one end of which 'is attached to the sleeve 28 through the opening 36 and the other end of which is attached to the sleeve 34. The base of said sleeve 31 engages with the angular arm 35 which is pivoted to the wing 10 at the point 36. A controlling wire 37 attached to the opposite end of the arm 35 serves to elevate the sleeve 34 and 0 bring in contact with the end portion of he ribs 23 the collar 33, thereby causi as shown in Fig. 5.

The controlling wire 37, as well as the chain 32 and the controlling mechanism for starting or stopping the motor, connected with the shaft 7, are preferably arranged so as to be within easy reach of the aviator operating the airplane. The purpose of constructing the hood so as to be collapsible as above specified, is in order that when the same is not in use it may present as small obstruction as possible to the progiess of the airplane through the air. Accordingly, the studs 28 are placed in a fore and aft osition, in order that when the hood is col apsed it may present its narrowest dimension to the front of the machine. Normally, the said hood is kept'closed and is only opened when occasion requires.

The preferred 0 eration of my improved stabilizer is as fol ows:

The hoods 22 having been opened to their widest extent through releasing the lead wires 37, the propellers 21 are then started in motion and the mechanism for propelling the airplane is shut off. The fans 21 now revolving rapidly cause the air to be sucked up into the hoods 22 impinging upon the under-surface thereof to create a lifting or supporting surface very much in the same manner as in the case of a arachute.

The effect is that after t e momentum of the machine has been exhausted occasioned by its rapid progress through the air, ropelled by its driving engine, the airp ane will remain poised over a particular spot of the earth and will slowly settle in the direction thereof, except as acted upon by sur rounding air currents. While the machine is thus slowly settling, bombs may he dropped upon the earth below. If desired, the airplane mayl be permitted to settle until the'earth is reac ed. Should, however, it be desired to stop short of such point, the drivmg engine of the airplane may be again started, the hood 22 fan 21 stopped.

ng said ribs to collapse being closed and the dill When used as a stabilizer or as a device to keep the airplane in a horizontal position, a

the aviator will find it advantageous upon opening the hoods 22 to incline the same either fore or aft as the case may be, in order more quickly to restore the equilibrium of the )lane. By so tip ing the mouth of the,

ho s 22 fore and a in conjunction with the fans 21, the aviator isena'bled quickly to effect such stabilization as may be desired. lit, for example, the airplane is inclined toward the front the depressing of the, mouth of the hood towardthe rear and the elevation thereof toward the front will facilitate the admission of the air to the interior surface of said hood and thereby more quickly assist in restoring equilibrium, If, on the other hand, the airplane is ascending rapidly and it is desired to drop back into horizontal position, the'raising' of therear portion of the hood 22 and the depression of the front portion, will likewise assist in brin ing the airplane back to a horizontal position. Preferably each hood 22 is, as shown, hemispherical in form, since this is the shape which I have found produces the most effective results. The axis of each fan 21, being normally a continuation of the vertical axis of the hemisphere, to which it is adj acent, serves to locate the said fan in such operative position as to cause the air sucked up through its use to be distributed equally against corresponding parts of the interior of the hood, and to effect an even pressure upwardly upon the same as a whole, and thereby to maintain the e uilibrium of the airplane. Where the bee s are tipped, as above described, the location of the fans21 is always opposite the central portion of the circular mouth of the hood, so that the air is always sucked into the hood through such central portion, no matter what position the hood may assume, and an even distribution of air is eflected. A symmetrical form of each of the hoods 22, thereby contributes to the proper distribution and banking of the air, and by the term hemispherical as used herein, l in tend to include any and all symmetrical shapes, the construction ot which is such as to produce a similar distribution of air as is.

brought about by the form of hood herein illustrated and described. Preferably the area of movement of the fan 21 is considerably smaller than the areaof the mouth of the hemispherical hood 22, in order that a sutticient space may be provided torthe es-- cape ot the air around the area of said tan. As will be seen in Fig. 3, the area otmovement ol" said, tan is less than one-halt the area ot-the mouth of the hood. These proportions may vary however, it desired, pro vided that ample room is left for the escape of the air from the hood, in order to produce the banking ot the air desired through the operation ot this device,

' collapsible each ct sai While I have described my device as particularly adapted to be used in the preferred form of apparatus above described, I do not desire to be limited to the precise construction shown, since as is obvious, variousmodifications and changes could be made Without hood, two vertically moving members, each a of which isconnected'withone side of said hood opposite the other, aian located below the mouth of said hoodand means for operating said fan. I

3."An airplane stabilizer consisting of a hemispherical hood, two vertically moving rods, each of which is connected with one side of said hood opposite the other, means for simultaneously raising ,one oh said rods while depressin the other, a fan located below the mout of said hood and means for operating said tan.

14:. "An 'airplane'stabilizer consisting of a hemispherical'hood, a fan located below the central portion otthe mouth of said hood, the area covered by said fanbeing substantiall vless than the area of the mouth of said hoo and means for o crating said fan.

5. An airplane stabfiizer consisting of a cone sibleihood, mechanism for collapsing said ood to present its narrowest dimension when so collapsed to the direction of the line of flight, afan located in proximity to the mouth of said hood, and means for operating said fan.

6. An air lane stabilizer consisting of a emispherical hood located beneath one of the wings of the ai located below the month at sai hood and arranged to drive air within the same, and mechanism for'operating said tan.

7. An airplane stabilizer consisting ot two lane, a tan 7 hemispherical hoods, each being located under the end of one of the wings of the airplane opposite the other, a tan located be low the mouth of each hood and mechanism for simultaneously driving each of said fans.

8. 'An airplane stabiliaer consisting of two hemispherical hoods, each being located under one end of the airplane opposite the other beneath one of the wings, a tan lo cated below the central portion of the mouth of each hood and mechanism inde endcnt oil the motive ower ot the airplane or driving til fans.

9. h stabilizer for Iii-planes, consistingo't ltd ,1

a hood located beneath and in proximity with the upper wing thereof, a fan located beneath the mouth of said hood and supported upon the lower wing, and mechanism connected with said lower wing for operating each of said fans.

10. A stabilizer for bi-pianes consisting of a hood located beneath and in proximity with the upper wing thereof, a fan located beneath the central portion of the mouth of said hood and supported upon the lower wing and mechanism connected with said lower wing t'or operating each of said fans.

11', An airplane stabilizer consisting of a concavo-convex hood mounted to be tilted in directions fore and aft of the airplane, means for efi'ecting said tilting of the hood,

a fan having a vertical axis for forcing air into the hood, and means for operating said fan.

12. An airplane stabilizer consisting of a collapsible concavo-convex hood supported at two opposite points. a fairhaving a er tical axis and arranged in proximity to the mouth of the hood for forcing air into the latter, means for operating said fan, and means for collapsing said hood on said points of support.

13. An airplane stabilizer consisting of a collapsible concavo-convex hood supported at two opposite points, a fan having a vertical axis and arranged in proximity to the mouth of the hood for forcing air into the latter, means for operating said fan, and means for collapsing said hood on said points of support, said points of support being arranged in alinement extending fore and aft of the airplane, whereby the hood presents its narrowest dimensions to the direction of the line of flight when collapsed.

14. An airplane stabilizer consisting of a collapsible concavo-convex hood, two vertically movable members, means for supporting the hood mounted at substantially opposite points to said members, said means beln r adapted to extend and distcnd the hood means for simultaneously raising either of said'members while depressing the other, operable means adjacent said points of support for causing said first means to collapse the hood, and a fan for forcing air into said hood.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto'sct my hand this 9th day of August, 1918.

THOMAS YAMADA 

